Road Cycling Gran Canaria Island Challenge Tour

An exciting start to the week with two great climbs

• Climbing from the Aldea through the tight gorge running beneath the Valley of the Tears to Artenara.
• The descent to Agaete and glimpses of the Atlantic late afternoon.

On the morning of day 1, we’ll head out of Puerto de Mogan, taking a northerly road towards the village of Mogan. It’s a gentle start to your cycling Gran Canaria trip, offering you the chance to warm up before we start the first climb of the day.

This first climb is just over 7km long, looking down on the charming Aldea region and the fruit plantations below. After reaching the summit, we then descend via a pristine road to La Aldea de San Nicolas. Setting off after coffee in the sublime village square, we’ll climb gently into the Barranco des los Juncos where we will soon face a few short but steep hairpin sections. Along this ravine, we’ll pass the glittering reservoirs of Presa de caidero de la Nina and del Parrailio, where we’ll then be presented with the main climb of the day.
This climb is just over 17km in length and takes us to Artenara, starting steeply past the Mirador del Molino – a lookout point that allows a glimpse at the entrance to the Valley of the Tears. The climb then relents a little, though still features several short, steep sections until the final 5km, where the gradient reduces to around 5%. Here at Artenara, we’ll stop for lunch to give our legs and lungs a well-earned rest, after all it’s still the first day of our cycling Gran Canaria challenge.

After lunch at our favourite spot in Artenara, the road begins to climb gently again to the north, offering views of Mont Teide on neighboring Tenerife. We end the day with an amazing descent to Agaete, enjoying many sweeping bends until we reach the coast and Puerto las Nievas where the Hotel Roca Negra awaits.

From sea level to nearly 2000 meters

• The super climb to Pico las Nievas at 1924 m above sea level from the coast on the north west of the Island.
• The views across the south of the Island from Pico las Nieves will make your effort well worth while.

On Day 2 of the tour, we’ll climb to Pico las Nievas, the highest point Gran Canaria has to offer cyclists at 1924 meters in altitude. We leave Agaete, passing through the town of Galdar and onto the road leading into the mountains, heading first towards the Reserva Natural Especial de El Brexal and Azuaje. On this road, you’ll be faced with 60km of terrain full of seemingly never-ending undulations, where we’ll need to pace ourselves to prevent early fatigue. This northern side of the island is much greener, and you’ll pass through stunning valleys that are in true contrast to the scenery of the south during the first day of our cycling Gran Canaria island challenge.

After the 60km mark, the day becomes steadier and we can enjoy more consistent climbing as we head towards Cruz de Tejeda before making the final push to Pico las Nievas and your first opportunity to look at the south of the island from above. Once the summit has been reached the day comes to a close with a descent back to Cruz de Tejeda and an evening spent relaxing

Possibly the most challenging climb on the Island

• The challenging climb to Pico las Nievas from Ingenio in the South East.
• The views from the terrace at the hotel in Cruz Tejeda are worth the journey alone.

Gran Canaria is full of wonderful descents and today starts with a fantastic smooth road as we leave the mountain village of Cruz de Tejeda, before heading around the GC 60 to Ayacata. The scenery during this first 25km certainly doesn’t disappoint with miles of unsurpassed mountain views. From Ayacata, the route heads down to San Bartolomé de Tirajana and the southeasterly quarter of Gran Canaria.

From Ingenio, the climbing really gets going and you’ll start the ascent to Pico las Nievas from its toughest side and really get the cycling Gran Canaria challenge going! Throughout our time spent riding on the island, we’ve always thought of this climb as one of the most challenging we’ve taken on! There’s one especially steep section of just over 5km in length that requires you to delve deep both mentally and physically – the average gradient of around 11% doesn’t do it justice! Once over the summit, it’s an easy ride back for your second night in the hotel at Cruz de Tejeda, where you will appreciate the panoramic views and reflect on a great day in the mountains.

Gran Canaria’s signature climb

• The sense of achievement you’ll feel as you reach the summit of the Valley of the Tears (VOTT)
• The swooping descent back to Agaete and the coast late afternoon is a fine way to end the day.

Leaving Cruz de Tejeda after the second night to stay up the mountain, for day 4 we’ll take on another one of Gran Canaria’s biggest challenges – the Valley of the Tears (VOTT), before heading back to Agaete on the North-West coast. One of the signature climbs when cycling Gran Canaria, the VOTT presents a great test and certainly provides plenty of discussion over dinner at the end of the day.

The main climb is around 12km in length and you’ll gain 1000 meters in altitude over this distance. The real challenge comes with several very steep hair pinned sections of between 1 and 3 km in length, with gradients reaching a heart pounding 18%. There are rolling sections of 9-10% for the chance to relax a little in the second half of the climb!

After conquering the VOTT, however, there’s still a beautiful steady 7km climb before we head back to Agaete. Once we arrive at the hotel, however, you’ll be able to kick back and relax for a good night’s rest ahead of a truly spectacular coastal ride on Day 5.

The most stunning coastal road

• Riding the most amazing section of coast road between Agaete and Aldea.
• Taking lunch right on the ocean at Playa de la Aldea, plus the climb alongside the Barranco de Tasarte as you head back to the south west.

Heading out of Puerto las Nievas and Agaete, we’ll ride south along a section of coastal road that, in our opinion, delivers a full 10/10 for scenery. The high cliff road through the Parque Natural de Tamadaba winds up and down with short sharp climbs and descents, with a seemingly better view around every bend. It’s a shorter day, that’s for sure, but don’t underestimate the exciting challenge.

If you do find yourself wishing for just a little bit more, there’s the option of a further 650 meters of climbing following the Barranco de Tasarte all the way to the coast before climbing back to join the main route to Puerto de Mogan

It’s all about the Serenity & Soria Climbs

• The Serenity climb above Mogan. Possibly the most visually stunning mountain road anywhere plus a huge amount of fun to climb.
• The silky smooth road as you climb to Soria from Arguineguin followed by the descent of the Serenity hairpins.

On Day 6, you have the choice between two different options – an intense ride, and a lighter version. The ride you choose is entirely up to you depending on how you are feeling after a challenging week of cycling Gran Canaria.

Both routes first see us ride the Serenity climb above Puerto de Mogan to Ayacata. This climb is one of the most scenic of the entire week, showcasing the type of challenging cycling Gran Canaria is famous for, along with its superb views. In our opinion, this climb is a fitting end to a great week of riding in Gran Canaria, as it winds its way up the mountainside on a seemingly endless stream of tightly packed hairpins.

The views up and down the climb are equally as good, so be sure to take some time to have a look around on the way up. If you’ve chosen to stick to the lighter route, you’ll turn around at Ayacata after lunch, returning to Puerto de Mogan for the opportunity to relax. Those on the intense route continue the ride, descending towards Maspalomas, heading along the coast before tackling a final 650 meter climb to Soria. From here we’ll descend to Puerto de Mogan for the final time during our cycling Gran Canaria winter challenge.

At this point, our week of cycling is over, but we’ll head over to our favourite bar for a beer or cocktail to celebrate the week’s achievements. Cycling Gran Canaria is challenging, but very rewarding, the memories of this week’s challenges will linger long into the summer months